Hands up who knows what the 'Aha' moment is...
Well here's a clue. It should happen to you when you're a guest at an event and you're doing the rounds meeting new people. It's something I, as an Introducer, creates when I'm working at events connecting people to each other.
So what is the 'Aha' moment? It's the moment when your adrenalin suddenly rushes in and you know you're face to face with someone who 'lights your fire'. Sometimes it happens instantly, as soon as you've met someone, which means it's down to all the signals you're receiving through the other person's appearance and their reaction to yours. Sometimes it emerges as the conversation starts up.
However it occurs, there's no mistaking it. You know you've just met someone who wakes you up from what can be a tedious round of banal conversations that feel like a chore rather than a pleasure.
There's a cocktail of feelings that surge through the body. This cocktail may contain some or all of the feelings below and will be in varying degrees for each person.
Relief: at last, here's someone I find interesting.
Excitement: we're on the same page. They've got something to say I really want to hear or they're reacting to something I'm saying with an unusual amount of interest. This excitement can build or wane throughout the conversation.
Anxiety: will they be interested in me? What I want to say and the way I'm expressing it might not be of interest to them. I'm not as smart/senior/knowledgeable as them and therefore they won't want to continue to talk to me.
Fear: the conversation might stop. Either because they choose to leave the conversation - resulting in feelings of rejection, or because someone will interrupt us - resulting in feelings of annoyance, anger even.
Hope: that someone doesn't come along to join us because it will block off the direction that the conversation is going in. Of course, it might be a more-rounded fuller conversation as the result of another's input, but at this moment in time I want this one.
Pleasure: I'm enjoying myself.
Satisfaction: that was good. I'm glad I came.
Greed: I want more of this. Where else in the room can I get it?
Companies and individuals putting on events attended by people who don't know each other need to pay attention to providing the 'Aha' moment for their guests. It's what will produce contented faces and banish miserable ones and will have a surprisingly positive effect on the whole group.
The big bonus for you as a host company or individual is in the last two feelings that your guests will experience: satisfaction and greed. They'll be satisfied with what you have provided them and they'll leave wanting more. Job done!